Archiving and Data Center Security

Archiving and Data Center Security

By Michael

April 30, 2015

IT managers understand the benefits of data center expansion, yet they also recognize the many potential pitfalls. When more of a company’s infrastructure is committed to data center operations, the risk of a data breach inherently grows.

This is especially true for heavily targeted entities, such as political agencies, financial institutions and healthcare facilities. Responsible tech professionals would be wise to keep a comprehensive archive of information pertaining to the data center. This can help streamline the procedures behind auditing and disaster recovery, among a host of other variables.

Chief executives in the tech sector are increasingly focused on protecting not just their own networks, but the networks of data-driven enterprises around the globe. There are many different ways to achieve this level of security. Data encryption has become a widely used device for its ability to disguise information that can be revealed only with a confidential key. Biometrics, with the use of fingerprint readers and vocal recognition, have gained plenty of steam as well. Data decentralization, pushed forward by the emergence of the colocation market, is also quickly picking up.

Yet no matter a company’s preferred method of cybersecurity, archiving should be a mandatory part of standard operations. Proactivity almost always trumps reactivity, especially when it comes to data breaches. And with technology such as the Archived Data Manager, businesses can fully prepare for both internal and external threats.

Dell executive prioritizes security
At this year’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, a wide range of tech professionals gathered to discuss some of the most pressing issues in the sector. Brett Hansen, a security expert with Dell, spoke with Fortune at the festival about some of the top hot-button issues at his company.

“Security is the number one present concern,” Hansen told the news outlet. “And the reason why is…end users are the biggest pain in the neck in security. And there are two different dimensions to that: one is the folks who click on the ‘cute-idiot’ link that is spam, or the ones who open an attachment that is spam. Yes, they’re these very sophisticated attacks that take place over months, but in almost every instance, there is a person who is the attack point who starts the whole thing.”

The variety of factors that could lead to a data breach can make disaster recovery a fairly challenging process for IT managers. In the aftermath of identity fraud or stolen intellectual property, it can be difficult for a business to transition back to standard operations. However, by archiving data with the help of scalable technology, enterprises can automatically consolidate large batches of information into one place and ease the reformation stage.

Security lags behind innovation
While cloud computing and a host of other practical innovations in the business world have streamlined operations and supported the ongoing globalization of commerce, the drawbacks are tangible, according to The Wall Street.

“Technology in my opinion has become something of a threat enabler,” Steve Durbin, the managing director of the Information Security Firm, told the news outlet. “All of them have the opportunity to go wrong, and when they go wrong they will go wrong quickly and we will have to respond to that. I don’t think we’re prepared for that yet.”

Some of the more commonly adopted cybersecurity measures are helping IT managers secure valuable data. However, even these strategies have a limit to how much they can ward off. Proactive tech professionals should archive their data so they can easily conduct audit trails, comply with government regulations and retrieve information pertaining to access control.